New Auckland housing areas to be named today

Auckland mayor Len Brown has just announced a "significant" number of new approvals of special housing areas will be revealed today.

Under its accord with the Government, Auckland Council has already approved many new fast-track housing estates since late last year and Brown.

Brown told Radio Live this morning that initial site works had begun on two of those sites but he acknowledged construction of the houses had yet to begin. An announcement giving details of the locations and numbers of new houses to be built in the latest approved SHAs is due this afternoon.

The agreement between the Government and the council aims to approve 39,000 new residences over a three-year period.

SHAs have already been approved in the Auckland suburbs of Newmarket, Takapuna and on the city's western and southern outskirts. Most of the approvals so far have been for townhouses and apartments on small plots, rather than stand-alone traditional housing on big sections.

This is in an attempt to keep prices down, as land prices and restrictions on urban zoning factors behind the over-heated Auckland's house market.

Brown said once SHA approval had been granted, it was up to the private sector to build the places.

He referred to the state inquiry into the price of building materials, although the outcome of that is yet to be announced.

He also referred to the state's drive for more apprenticeships to ease the labour and skills shortage dogging the building sector.

These were both factors influencing house prices, Brown said.